


in the cards of destiny

by softarchie



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, One Shot, Pre-Canon, Romance, or in other words: before season one, the story behind the bowling picture, this is just teens being teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29520876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softarchie/pseuds/softarchie
Summary: Bowling was the perfect activity to keep her mind off of her fight with Archie. That is, until Archie came to bowl as well.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	in the cards of destiny

The world was ending.

Specifically, Betty’s world was ending, considering that she hadn’t spoken to Archie in three days; not in person and not in texts.

She didn’t even remember how the fight began. Was it when he apologized for missing their planned picnic? The moment she found out he missed it because he was hanging out with his guy friends instead? Or was it when he told her that she was being too dramatic about it all?

She didn’t remember everything she had said in reply, but the words “You look pathetic trying to be as cool as Jason,” stood out.

Archie had many great attributes, but he definitely was not Mr. Popular. For an almost-fifteen-year-old he was a little too short and clumsy for his age, and the weird voice cracks were a recent humiliating development. Her mom had said that was a normal part of growing up, but Betty’s voice hadn’t changed, and she always went through the stages of growing up first.

Of course, Betty had other friends too. There was Kevin…and…well, Kevin was the only one she’d call a real friend. Betty was _friendly_ with many others though.

Archie was friends with many boys including Jason Blossom. She didn’t mind that until he started following them around like a puppy dog seeking affection.

If he wanted affection, he could just come to her!

What did they have that she didn’t?

She was much nicer to Archie, that was for sure. They constantly teased him, and he kept going back to them as if he was in on the joke. As if their words didn’t actually make him hurt. But she knew better, which is why it was mind-boggling and completely infuriating that he ditched her and their plans for the afternoon to spend time with “the guys.”

Betty decided it didn’t matter. It had been three days since they had spoken so that officially meant Kevin was her new best friend. He was already doing a great job at it by taking her to a bowling alley to cheer her up. He’d been wanting to go for weeks and his dad drove them, but it’s the invitation that counted.

She was actually having a fun time since she chose to block out any thoughts of Archie or the fight. It wasn’t too crowded or noisy and they had gotten a table at the far end of the room so they had slightly more privacy if she wanted to complain about He Who Shall Not Be Named. Which she was not going to do because he did not deserve the attention that he refused to return to her.

“You’re frowning at the pins too hard, Betty, just throw it,” Kevin whined from behind her.

“And let you win?” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so.”

It was a whole minute before she let the ball fly down the lane and hit the pins. Two pins to be exact, which was not bad. Kevin only got three in his frame, so as long as she got one more on her next try, they’d be tied for the first out of three games.

She stuck her fingers in the next ball, leaned on her left leg, and prepared to throw.

It was at that moment, that Reggie Mantle’s booming laugh broke through her concentration. She glanced back and froze. He was walking into the room with familiar faces – Jason, Cheryl, and Archie. Betty’s eyes dropped to the arm that Cheryl had looped around Archie’s and quickly faced forward.

A stinging memory from three weeks ago re-surfaced in her mind: Cheryl loudly claiming in front of the whole school at lunch time that Archie should give her a kiss on the lips. Her reasoning made no sense. Archie didn’t even look like he wanted to kiss her…but he did. He did, and Betty tried to act like it didn’t matter, that she didn’t care at all, that it was not a big deal…but it was.

She hated Cheryl in that moment and disliked her a lot more since then. Maybe it was because Cheryl had the confidence to actually say something like that. Or maybe it was because Cheryl always appeared to be so comfortable in her own skin, unlike Betty who was self-conscious all of the time.

Archie had said he’d kissed Cheryl because he didn’t want to embarrass her in public. Betty thought that was kind. But looking at Archie smiling at Cheryl now, she wanted to take her bowling ball and toss it at his head.

Instead of replying to her texts, he was here with them. So, screw him, a part of her mind said. Ignore him like he ignored you.

That was a tough challenge, especially when his eyes met hers from across the room and widened.

Before she knew it, the group had wandered over and Cheryl had ordered they play against each other. Her, Archie, and Jason against Betty, Kevin, and Reggie. Of course, she had to be stuck with Reggie who threw his balls hard and fast and without any aim whatsoever.

Betty tried to ignore Archie’s presence. He made it difficult with the constant staring. It got even worse when the staring turned into glaring. She glared back.

He turned the flash on Reggie’s phone and used it to take a picture of her, right when she was about to take her turn. It threw her off balance and the ball went into the gutter.

She tried to trip him on his way to the foul line. Apparently that had been too much for him, because he cheered on Cheryl extra hard following that. So, she cheered on Jason despite him being on the opposite team, but stayed mute when it was his turn.

Soon, Archie’s glare faded into a frowning pout. She didn’t have it in her to be bothered by it. He started it after all.

She kept her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned back in the booth to watch Cheryl take her turn. Archie mimicked her position from across the table, eyes deliberately staying away from her.

“I’m sorry,” he finally whispered.

She barely heard it. Betty stared at him scrutinizingly. “Are you? About what?”

Archie huffed. “You know what. I’m sorry for…ditching you. Not letting you know earlier so that you didn’t go to the park and wait for me. Wasting all that food…” his voice trailed off sadly.

She wondered if he was most sad about the food.

“This isn’t the first time.”

“Yes, it is!” he denied adamantly. “I’ve never ditched you before.”

“It’s not the first time you said no to me because you wanted to spend time with them.”

“Is that a crime?” His eyes grew as large as the bowling balls. “I can have more than one friend. You have Kevin!”

“Kevin’s not my best friend!” she argued back.

“Thanks,” Kevin muttered from beside her.

“I wouldn’t say no _more than once_ to you for Kevin.”

“What-well-why not?” Archie stammered.

“Because _you’re_ my best friend, stupid.”

He fell silent.

“Is someone jealous?” Cheryl taunted, walking over. Her eyes zeroed in on Betty like a snake. “Green does not look good on you, Betty.”

“Yeah, well red isn’t really your colour either, Cheryl,” Betty snapped back.

Everyone stopped moving at that comment. Before his sister could erupt, Jason quickly took her arm and went looking for nachos. Reggie laughed only when she was out of sight, and then went off on his own for a drink.

Betty stared at the spot Cheryl was standing previously in horror. She didn’t know where that retort came from and she couldn’t believe she said it at the risk of the torture Cheryl could rain down on her life at school.

Kevin stayed behind, looking between Betty and Archie like he was watching a ping-pong match.

Archie groaned and stood up from his seat. “I hate fighting with you, Betty.” His voice cracked again mid-sentence, and he hurriedly moved to pick up a ball before she could say something in return.

“I hate fighting with you too,” she admitted quietly after she followed him.

His posture shook as he made his throw. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Betty nodded in defeat, wrangling her hands together. “I’m sorry about what I said.”

He turned to face her and smiled a little. “It’s okay.”

“Just like that?” she questioned incredulously. “But then why haven’t you answered my texts? I apologized in those.”

“Oh! My dad took away my phone after I almost failed that math test.”

“You almost failed the math test?!”

“Hey! I was too busy thinking about you,” Archie stated defensively.

Her cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said again. Then he asked, “Why are you really so angry though? I promise I won’t ever cancel on our future plans. I should have never done that to you. I really do get it, Betty.”

She crossed her arms, staring stubbornly ahead. “You like them more than me.”

His mouth dropped open, gaping like a fish. Betty shrugged and picked at her sleeve, as her heart raced and leapt and did somersaults in her chest.

“I do not,” he said, deathly serious. “How could you think that? _You’re_ my best friend.”

“Well Reggie-“

“Reggie isn’t you.”

“Yes, but Jason-“

“Isn’t you either.”

“Then why do you like spending so much time with them?”

“I don’t even spend that much time with them!”

“It’s because they’re guys isn’t it? And I’m a girl. And you can’t talk to me about…guy stuff.”

“Uh…that’s…true.” Archie scratched the back of his neck which was beginning to grow as red as her cheeks. “But, talking to you is way more interesting anyway.”

“Really?” she asked with insecurity in her tone. “I know that things haven’t been the same since we were kids. I guess I’m just scared that we’re growing apart and they’re replacing me.”

He shook his head quickly. “Absolutely not. No one can replace you in my life. You’re the best part of it.”

She grinned and rolled her eyes. He was so sweet when he wanted to be. It made it that much harder to stay mad at him.

“Let me make it up to you,” Archie continued. “I’ll take you on a picnic next weekend, and I’ll bring the food this time.”

Her pride stayed strong. “No, forget it. You don’t have to take me on a pity picnic.”

“It’s not out of pity, Betty.” He frowned. “Stop thinking like that. We’re going and that’s final.”

She almost laughed. He could not use his dad’s favourite line to make her listen as if he was her father.

Knowing what the look on her face meant, Archie tried a different route. “How about if I manage to knock down all the pins?”

She wavered, looking at the two pins left standing on the lane. They were far too apart for the ball to rebound between them – right? It’s not like she was a master bowling champion to know for sure.

“Oh, Betty, you have to say yes,” Kevin’s voice piped up. They both looked at him in surprise, once again remembering that they were being watched.

“Fine, whatever,” she replied without really thinking. “It’ll be a miracle if you can do it, Arch.”

“Shit-talking already, Betty?” Archie playfully raised his eyebrows. “Be careful what you say.”

Kevin laughed and cupped his mouth. “What does destiny have in its cards for us boys and girls? Will Archie Andrews be able to gain back his honour or will he fail, like all those that have come before him, to ever challenge the mighty Betty Cooper?”

“You’re so embarrassing,” Betty swatted Kevin on the arm, trying to keep her giggle in.

“We have a deal, right, Betty?” Archie re-gained her attention.

“Yes, Arch,” she agreed.

Right when the words came out, he began walking down the lane towards the pins. With two solid kicks, Archie knocked them both down and turned around with a sick, victorious grin on his face.

The air left her body as she stared at the pins laying on their side. “That’s not fair.”

“I never said I was going to throw the ball. Fair is fair.”

Kevin whooped and hollered right beside her. “Destiny has spoken! Destiny has spoken!”

“Well, can it stop speaking?” Cheryl called out, returning with her nachos. “You sound like a moron.”

But Kevin was too over-joyous to care, and Betty was too petty to miss her opportunity.

“Fine, then, Arch, I guess I’ll go on a picnic date with you,” she said loud enough for him to hear from the end of the lane, and for Cheryl to hear so that she didn’t get any bright ideas.

Their eyes met, and while Betty waited for some sign of disappointment in them, she instead saw amusement and indifference. Cheryl sat down without a word.

Oh, well. All the better for her.

“So, next weekend?” Archie asked, grabbing her hand casually. Her fingers tingled and she nodded happily.

“Yeah, but I’m bringing the food.”

He smiled. “You mean the food that your mom makes.”

“Yes, the food that is better than what you can make. That food.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Point made.”

She watched him pull out Reggie’s phone from his pocket and open the photos library to look at the picture he’d taken of her.

“Delete it,” she said.

Archie’s head tilted to the side. “I will. After I send it to my phone.”

“Why would you want that? I look weird in that. Archie! Don’t.”

But it was too late. The deed was done, and Archie was staring back at her guiltily.

“I just wanted something to remember this moment by, and you always look good Betty.”

“Liar,” she punched him lightly in the arm. She wasn’t too mad, as long as Reggie couldn’t look at it.

“Did you delete it from the trash?”

“Yup.”

“Good. What moment did you want to remember anyway? Me getting a gutter ball?”

“The first day you agreed to go on a date with me.”

Her eyes widened at the word “date.” She used it in front of Cheryl to…to…

Archie nervously looked down. “As long as you’re okay with me calling it a date, of course.”

Betty squeezed his hand a little tighter. “Of course.”

She wasn’t sure if he meant a date between friends or a _date_ , but she could worry about that later. They were Betty and Archie, and they had all the time in the world to figure it out.

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is inspired by the really blurry picture of Betty bowling that was released by one of the writers this week on IG. I don't really know how I feel about it, but I hope you liked it! Consider hitting the kudos and comments button and thanks for reading.


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